The Running Man’s AI Twist: A Disturbing Reflection of Our Reality
The film industry is no stranger to controversial adaptations, and Edgar Wright’s ‘The Running Man’ is no exception. Despite some critics praising Glen Powell’s performance, the movie has sparked debates, especially regarding its bold deviation from Stephen King’s original story. With a Rotten Tomatoes score lingering around 65%, the film’s reception is a mixed bag.
But here’s where it gets controversial: Wright’s decision to incorporate AI as a pivotal plot element, mirroring the ongoing AI discourse, has left him with a peculiar concern. The director was disturbed not by the inclusion of AI but by the audience’s reaction to it. Test screenings revealed that viewers effortlessly comprehended the AI-centric narrative, indicating that AI’s presence in our collective consciousness is undeniable.
The film, set in a dystopian future, amplifies the AI elements from King’s novel, written in the ’70s and published in 1982. Wright’s version is filled with deep fakes and drones controlled by a malevolent AI, eerily resonating with today’s world. In an Inverse interview, Wright admitted that while it was advantageous that audiences didn’t need AI explained, it was also unsettling. He realized that AI’s integration into our lives is so profound that it’s like ‘toothpaste out of the tube,’ and people might soon question their own perceptions.
The familiarity of AI in the movie is a double-edged sword. During the same interview, Wright traced the AI elements back to King’s novel, where the concept of manipulation was present even without the term ‘deepfake’. The director also attributed this ease of understanding to 25 years of reality TV, which has desensitized viewers to certain forms of entertainment. This desensitization, as Wright notes, is a worrying trend, especially when AI-driven dystopian narratives seem increasingly plausible. With figures like Joe Russo embracing an AI-dominated future and AI-generated actors like Tilly Norwood gaining traction, the line between fiction and reality blurs.
As ‘The Running Man’ navigates its AI-focused narrative, Wright’s concern highlights a broader societal issue. Will the film’s box office fate mirror the 1987 original’s, or will its AI twist resonate differently with today’s audiences? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: the AI debate is far from over, and its implications are more profound than we might think.